


hope to die

by peytonpeach



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Based On An Orville Peck Song, Cowboy AU, Gun Violence, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Song Lyrics, alternate universe - cowboys, basically little snippets of sasunaru in their lives as cowboys, scenes aren't in order so it can be kinda confusing, someone gets shot but it's not graphic, they fall in love and defeat the akatsuki gang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:00:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25234300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peytonpeach/pseuds/peytonpeach
Summary: "And I’m still undone, I’m not quite youngBut I, I still tryCross my heart, now I hope to dieCross my heart, now I hope to die"
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 10
Kudos: 22





	hope to die

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: softharuno  
> thank you to dan for getting me into orville peck, and the server for loving cowboys.

**_Gone was the way we were—_ **

Sasuke thinks back to when he and Naruto were rivals; when they yelled and screamed and scrapped and hid from what was in their own hearts. He sighs into Naruto’s shoulder, and his partner kisses the space behind his ear.

**_Just like the days we’d burn,_ **

Sasuke sits atop his horse, and his eyes sting from the sun and the sight of Naruto’s back. He eyes his unnatural light hair, the dark brown of his vest, the small bit of red from the handkerchief peeking from beneath his shirt. He sighs, and Naruto pretends not to hear.

_**Everything ‘round us would burn.** _

The two of them watch as the ranch house burns in front of them, which had belonged to a gang known as the Akatsuki. Naruto takes his hand. Neither of them looked at their hands, or each other. Their eyes stayed on the orange blaze until it burned the house to coals; until the same fire in their hearts grew to something softer, but just as bright.

Once they leave the blaze, Sasuke won’t let go of him. Neither of them say a word as Naruto hooks Susanoo up to the back of Kurama’s saddle. As Naruto lifts Sasuke’s almost limp body onto Kurama (who gives a very annoyed huff) and hops on himself. As Sasuke wraps his arms around Naruto, putting all his strength into the embrace, and as Kurama starts a south-bound trot.

-

**_Take me back to the time_ **

Sasuke breaks out of his thoughts to feel the suede of Naruto’s vest against his cheek. They sway together in some form of a slow dance and Sasuke tells himself he will never let this go. Not after all they went through to get here.

**_I was yours, and you were mine_ **

Naruto pulls back to smile so wide his eyes screw shut, and Sasuke thinks, I will never stop loving you. His heart pinches in a strange way, but he revels in the way it feels. In the way Naruto feels — his strong chest a field for Sasuke to rest upon, his arms secure like the way he straps a saddle onto Kurama. He smiles back, and watches Naruto hesitate.

**_Take me back, the words I’d say_ **

“I love you,” Naruto says. His smile has dropped but he looks just as fond. Sasuke feels his cheeks heat up and he presses his forehead into Naruto’s. “I love you, too,” he tells him. Saying this, being this, burns his stomach in the most pleasant way. “Say it again,” he asks.

**_I had to whisper_ **

“I love you.” He says again, quieter, softer. Sasuke presses their lips together in order to quiet the butterflies in his stomach. Naruto smiles into the kiss and Sasuke hates him for making him feel this way. He pulls back, watches as Naruto follows his face back. “Again,” Sasuke whispers.

**_Because you liked it that way_ **

“I love you.” Naruto whispers back.

-

**_I’m still undone, not quite young_ **

**_But I, I still try_ **

**_Cross my heart, now I hope to die_ **

-

**_Was the way we were_ **

“Shut up, Naruto,” Sasuke says through gritted teeth. Susanoo feels his unease and picks up her pace. “You’re alright, Susie.” He whispers to the horse, petting her neck.

“I wish you’d talk to me the way you talked to that horse.” Naruto grumbles. Sasuke thinks it’s cute the way he’s pouting—but he turns his head toward the horizon so Naruto can’t see the pink brushing his cheeks.

**_Just like you’d say, we’d turn?_ **

“I hear you talkin’ to Kurama when you hook ‘im up.” Sasuke giggles. “All, ‘that’s my boy, what a sweet boy,’ type talkin’.”

Kurama snorts and Sasuke knows he’s mad. He bucks up (Naruto stays on somehow—it’s like the horse knows his limits) and turns around. “C’mon, Kura, don’t be like that! You know Sasuke’s just tryin’ to get under our skin.”

**_Everything ‘round us, big burn_ **

“Are you sure that guy—“

“Zetsu didn’t follow us, Naruto. It’s okay.” Sasuke murmurs into his back. “It’s okay.”

-

_**Take me back to the time** _

It’s all my fault, Sasuke thinks. I thought he was dead. But a bullet shoots by his head and nothing is okay. He had hopped back onto Susanoo and then they were separated, and he can’t see Naruto in the darkness.

And then there’s a flash of an auburn tail, and he sees Naruto fall to the ground. Susanoo stops in her tracks.

He feels a burning in his chest and at his eyes and shoots blindly backwards, and there’s another thud, and he turns around and shoots Zetsu again for good measure. He hops off his horse and runs to his partner.

**_I was yours and you were mine_ **

“Naruto!” Sasuke yells. He wonders, if he had known this would happen, would he have told him? Would he have told— “Naruto!”

**_Take me back to the world I know_ **

“Naruto, please, stay with me,” Sasuke gasps through his tears, trying to push on the wound with his handkerchief. Naruto smiles up at him.

**_You were crying_ **

“Sasuke,” he says, and reaches a weak hand up to wipe his partner’s tears. “Sasuke…”

“You don’t have to talk, Naruto, shh—“

“I love you.”

“No you don’t, you fucking idiot, shut up.” And then he’s pressing harder, and Naruto’s eyes start to close, and everything is wrong.

_**They don’t cry when we’re gone** _

“Teme,” is the first word that leaves Naruto’s dry lips when he wakes up in a saloon room, and Sasuke’s hat covers his face from the rays of sun that enter through the curtains, and—

“I love you, too. Usuratonkachi.” Sasuke tells him, voice and eyes heavy with lack of sleep. He smiles, and Naruto wonders how he ever thought he wasn’t in love with this man.

-

_**I’m still undone, not quite young** _

“We’re getting old.” Sasuke says as he watches the sky while pretending not to notice Naruto staring at him. He sees Naruto’s eyebrows furrow at this. “We’re sitting on our porch watching the sky. Like it or not, we’re getting old, Naruto.”

**_But I, I still try_ **

“Old men couldn’t take care of the ranch the way we do.” Naruto says with a grin, all teeth. Sasuke smiles at the stars and closes his eyes. “I wouldn’t have this any other way, though.”

**_Cross my heart, now I hope to die_ **

“Me either.” Their eyes meet and they both smile. Sasuke reaches his hand out, and Naruto takes it. “No one could take this from me. I’d die before I lost this.” Naruto scolds him for thinking so negatively, but Sasuke means his words. He wouldn’t take them back, even if it means Naruto starts tickling him to lighten the mood.

**_And I’m still undone, I’m not quite young_ **

**_But I, I still try_ **

**_Cross my heart, now I hope to die_ **

**_Cross my heart, now I hope to die_ **


End file.
